Creston is poised to join Castlegar and Nelson as part of a Kootenay public art display and sale.
Joy Barrett, executive director of Castlegar Sculpturewalk, made her pitch to Creston town council on March 22, accompanied by a committee of local supporters that included Regional District of Central Kootenay Area B director Tanya Wall.
Barrett said that the Castlegar program has transformed the town in its six or seven years of existence.
“It started out with 10 pieces and this year it will feature 32 works of art by artists from Kaslo to Kazakhstan,” she said. “It has become a huge draw and is rated on Trip Advisor as our number one local attraction. It creates one of the few venues in the country to show and sell artists’ sculptural work.”
In her presentation, Barrett said that the program encourages local and regional emerging artists, creates a venue for artists’ work, contributes financially to artists’ livelihoods, brings international art to the community and “showcasing creativity fosters creativity.”
Sculptures selected for the program become available for sale or lease after the display period.
Wall asked that council refer the issue to the next meeting of the Creston Valley Services Committee so that directors can debate paying for the program out of a regional economic development service fund that includes the Town of Creston and areas B and C. She and director Larry Binks have already agreed to use those funds to support Creston’s participation in SculptureWalk, she said, adding that she has already garnered support from local businesses.
Prior to the council meeting, Barrett and ad hoc committee members walked through town and selected three potential sites for the positioning of sculptures. Those sites include the west edge of the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce, where Stewart Steinhauer’s Spirit Bear sculpture now sits, the Rotary Park south of Creston Valley Bakery, and the property immediately in front of Creston Valley Realty. The first location would be used only with the permission of Steinhauer and Wall said she would arrange for the Spirit Bear to be moved to another location at the Pine Street intersection for the duration of SculptureWalk.
The artistic creations are scheduled to arrive, pending approval by the services committee, in mid-April.
Finance director Steffan Klassen said participation in the program would not affect the 2016-17 budget and that town manager Lou Varela had been involved in discussions with the committee.
Council Briefs
•A request to partner with the Trails for Creston Valley Society to construct a footpath linking 16th Avenue North with Devon Street was referred to staff for a report.
•A letter of support was approved for the Kootenay Columbia Discovery Society.
•An application from the Creston Valley Thunder Cats hockey team to host the 2017 provincial Junior B hockey championships will receive council’s support.
•The Town of Creston will apply for funding from the Creston-Kootenay Foundation on behalf of the Creston Valley Rotary Club to help with costs to construct a new washroom/changing room building and pavilion in Centennial Park.
•A $500 contribution toward the Lower Kootenay Band Powwow was approved.
•A Town of Creston jacket will donate for the Creston Rotary Club’s annual fundraising auction.
•The Creston Valley Spirit Committee, on recommendation of its members, will be dissolved. It can be revived for specific projects, said Jen Comer, who is the town’s representative on the committee.
